Combined lunch basket and table



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Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

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A. WILLIAMS. COMBINED LUNCH BASKET AND TABLE. No. 597,662. Patented Jan.18, 1898.

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AMBROSINE VILLIAMS, OF SALEM, MISSOURl.

COMBINED LUNCH BASKET AND TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,662, dated January18, 1898.

Application filed September 12, 189B. Serial No. 605,649. (No model.)`

To @ZZ whom, t mty concern,.-

'Be it known that I, AMBRosINE WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Dent and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvement-s in a Combined Lunch Basketand Table;` and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear,'and exact description oi the invention, such as will enableothers skilled Vin the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in combined lunch baskets andtables, the object of the same being to provide a basketin which apicnic-lunch may be conveniently carried and which may be converted intoa table upon which the lunchf may be spread when it is desired to eatthe same. The invention consists of a basket, preferably constructed ofwood, having a bottom piece, two side pieces hinged to said bottompiece, and a lid or cover hinged to oneof said side pieces. Detachableend pieces are also provided which are adapted to lit Within grooves onthe inner sides of the side and bottom pieces adjacent to their outeredges and to be secured in place by means of hooks and staples. On theunder side of the bottom piece are hinged supporting-legs which areadapted to be folded up out of the waywhen the device is used in itsbasket form and to be folded downwardly when the same is used as atable. .A detachable leg is also provided for one of the side pieces toaid insupporting the device when it is used as a table.

The invention also consists in other details of construction andcombinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specilisation, Figure 1 representsa perspective view of my device shown in its basket form with thesupporting-legs folded up out of the way and with the ends of the strapsfor holding the parts in place buckled. Fig.,2 is a bottom plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. d is a rear elevation.Fig. is a perspective view showing the lid or cover raised. Fig. 6 is asimilar view showing the device in its table form. Fig. 7 is anelevation of the same, and Fig. S is a bottom plan view.

Like reference-numerals indicatelike parte in the different views.

My improved device is preferably con structed of Wood and consists of abottom piece l and side pieces 2 3, hinged thereto and adapted to foldoutwardly until they lie in a horizontal plane. Hinged to the outer edgeof the side piece 2 is a lid or cover e, which has a handle 5 secured tothe top surface thereof, from the outer ends of which extend straps G 6,which are adapted to be passed around the outside of the device when inits basket form for holding said basket in its closed position. Theinner surface of the bottom piece l is formed with grooves 7 7 adjacentto its outer edges, and similar grooves S S and 9 9 are formed in thesame relative positions in the side pieces 2 and 3, respectively. Theend pieces l0 l0 have their lower edges and the outer edges ofY theirsides cut away to conform to the shape of the grooves 7, 8, and 9, andsaid sides are adapted to fit within said grooves when the device isused in its basket form. They are held in place against the side piecesby means of hooks 1l il, pivoted to them and adapted to be inserted intostaples l2 l2 on the side pieces 2 and 3, respectively. On the underside of the bottom piece l are hinged two pairs of legs 13 14, which areadapted to fold upwardly in close contact with said bottom piece whenthe device is used in its basket form and to be held in such position bya flat spring 15, secured centrally to a block 16, projecting outwardlyfrom said bottom piece and engaging the rectangular cross-bars 17,connecting said pairs of legs.

The said cross-bars 17 have recesses 1S 1S cut in them, in which theends of the spring l5 are adapted to lit when said legs are turned totheir open position, lthe same being held positively in said openposition by said spring. On the outer side of the side piece 2 issecured a plate 19, the same being cut away on its inner surfaceadjacent to its central point, forming a socket for the reception of ametallic plate 20, projecting laterally from a supplemental leg 2l. Saidleg 2l has a recess 22 cut along one edge thereof, into which one of thestraps 6 fits for the purpose of holding said leg in place when thedevice is used inits basket form. Vhen the straps 6 are unbuckled, saidleg is'readily removed and ICQ attached to the side piece 2 by insertingthe plate 20 therein into the socket formed by the plate 19. Said legserves as an additional support for the device when it is used as a 5table.

In filling my improved basket the lid 4 is raised in the usual mannerand the contents placed upon the bottom piece 1 between the sides 2 and3 and the endpieces 10 10. XVhen Io full, the lid 3 is turneddownwardly, closing the basket, and the ends of the straps 6 G are thenbuckled together, holding the parts of the basket in their closedpositions, the legs )13 14C lyingin close contact with the under 15 sideof the bottom piece 1.

Then it is desired to remove the contents of the basket and convert itinto its table form, the straps G 6 are unbuckled and the leg 21 isremoved and applied to the side piece zo 2 in the manner heretoforedescribed. The

legs 13 14 are then folded downwardly, as

clearly shown in Fig. 6, the same being held in that position by theengagement of the spring 15 with the shoulder in the cross-bars 25 17,formed .by the recesses 18 18 therein. The

hooks 11 are then disconnected from the staples 12 and the end pieces 10removed.A The sides 2 and 3 are then folded rearwardly into thepositions shown in Fig. 6, with the side 3o piece 2 supported by thesupplemental leg 21. If desired, a leg may also be provided for the sidepiece 3; but it will be found that the hinge by which said side piece isconnected to the bottom piece 1 will be of suffi- 3 5 cient strength tosupport it. Said table may then be spread with a cloth and the lunchspread thereupon. v

To reconvert the device into its basket form', the reverse operation tothat just described will be performed.l

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a combined lunch basket and table, the combination of a bottom piece,side pieces hinged to the opposite edges thereof, a lid or cover hingedto the edge of one of the side pieces and provided with a handle, thebottom piece and side pieces Ibeing grooved adjacent to their outeredges, removable end pieces having hooks on their inner sides to .engagefastenings on the side pieces and also having part of their edgesconstructed to fit in the said grooves, two pairs of legs hinged to theunder side of `the bottom piece, an extended plate-spring for holdingthe legs in supporting position, a plate attached to the outer portionof one of the side pieces and out away to form a socket, a supplementalleg having a metal plate thereon adapted to engage the said plate on theside piece, and surrounding straps supplied with fastening devices forholding the parts in closed position, said pairs of legs being adaptedto be folded against the bottom piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

AMBROSIN E WILLIAMS.

VVitn esses T. J .e MosELEY, SAMUEL WHITE.

